Names & Faces

Associated Press

Published
4:00 am PST, Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Israeli tennis player Shahar Peer stands in her army uniform after a training session in Tel Aviv, Israel, Monday Sept. 17, 2007. Until recently, Shahar Peer was playing in the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open in New York. Today, the world's No. 16 female tennis player is back in Israel, wearing an olive green military uniform. less

Israeli tennis player Shahar Peer stands in her army uniform after a training session in Tel Aviv, Israel, Monday Sept. 17, 2007. Until recently, Shahar Peer was playing in the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open in ... more

Photo: Ariel Schalit, AP

Photo: Ariel Schalit, AP

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Israeli tennis player Shahar Peer stands in her army uniform after a training session in Tel Aviv, Israel, Monday Sept. 17, 2007. Until recently, Shahar Peer was playing in the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open in New York. Today, the world's No. 16 female tennis player is back in Israel, wearing an olive green military uniform. less

Israeli tennis player Shahar Peer stands in her army uniform after a training session in Tel Aviv, Israel, Monday Sept. 17, 2007. Until recently, Shahar Peer was playing in the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open in ... more

The Israeli tennis player rallied to beat 15th-ranked Yanina Wickmayer of Belgium 3-6, 6-2, 7-5 in her opening match at the Dubai Championships on Monday, a year after the Israeli player had been denied a visa to the Emirates. "It's more than beating Yanina. It's more of me handling all the stuff around and able to put everything on the side and just play tennis, and just concentrate on the (match) and not the politics." Authorities had cited safety reasons for preventing Peer from playing last year, with tournament organizers saying they feared fan anger over Israel's three-week military offensive in Gaza. Spectators had to pass through metal detectors and physical screening before making it to the court Monday.

Colt McCoy

The former Texas quarterback says he's throwing 40-50 balls a day in an intense rehabilitation program that he hopes will have him ready to fully participate in the NFL draft combine next week. McCoy, recognized Monday with the Davey O'Brien award as the nation's top quarterback, says the nerve injury in his right shoulder is "really coming along" and his shoulder is close to 100 percent. McCoy says it will be up to his doctors if he will throw at the combine, but that he will do everything he is able to do in Indianapolis. In the BCS title game Jan. 7 against Alabama, McCoy took a hard tackle on the Longhorns' fifth offensive play, pinching a nerve that knocked McCoy out of the game with a numb throwing arm.